


Not All that Glitters, Not All Who Wander

by RavenclawPianist



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Characters Added As They Appear - Freeform, Gen, Lord Of The Rings AU, any relationships are not the focus and are slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 11:02:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5826079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenclawPianist/pseuds/RavenclawPianist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Lord of the Rings AU</p><p>Her shoulders slumped. “You want me to take the Ring to Rivendell? I’ve never even left the Shire!”</p><p>“If I could pass the burden to anyone else, I would,” Nyko told her softly. “But we have already lost too much time against the enemy. I did not think it would take two years to find everyone and all the records I needed, and I fear that I have cost us more time than we could afford.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to tierannasaurusrex on tumblr for her support and help with this story. It would not have actually gotten written without her encouragement and brainstorming help.

“Keep it secret, keep it safe,” Nyko had ordered her before turning around and walking straight out her door again. Maya had watched him leave, clutching the sealed envelope in her fist. She closed the door to her hobbit-hole, turning the lock and pulling the curtains before looking around her rooms for a good place to hide it. Really she wasn’t completely sure what it was, but Nyko told her to hide it and protect it, so she would do just that. 

Once the envelope was secure, Maya returned to her dining room, where she had been about to sit down for her evening cup of tea and a slice of cake. She read for another hour or so before going to bed and promptly forgot about the envelope and its contents.

 

Two years passed quietly in the Shire. Maya tended her garden, read in the evenings, and spent time with her friends. Festivals were thrown in honor of each season, and she teased her friend Miller about his obvious crush on their friend Monty. The days passed with a comforting sameness, soft and sunny as the days of summer began to slowly fade into fall. 

Maya stretched, standing up after weeding her flower garden. Collecting the weeds she had pulled and placing them in a basket, she turned and stopped. A large man dressed in gray robes with a wild and bushy brown beard stood on the little path back to her front door. His dark brown eyes were serious, his mouth seemingly frozen in a permanent frown. 

She grinned, running forward and hugging the man around his waist. “Nyko! I didn’t know you were planning to stop by!”

He patted her lightly on the back. “I did not have time to send a message ahead. May we speak in private?”

“Of course,” Maya replied, leaving her basket of weeds by the door as she led Nyko inside. The tall wizard had to hunch over to fit inside the hobbit hole, but once he was seated he could straighten his back once more. Maya brought him a cup of tea and a plate of cookies, setting them down on a side table before sitting in the armchair opposite the one he occupied. “What brings you to Hobbiton?”

Nyko stood up, locked the front door, and pulled the curtains closed before sitting down again and leaning forward with his elbows braced on his knees. “Do you still have the envelope I gave you two years ago for safe keeping?” Maya nodded. “Will you go and get it?”

Maya went to her bedroom. Along one of the walls was a small bookshelf, which she pushed away from the wall. A brick had been removed from the wall to create a small hiding place, from which she removed the envelope. When she returned to the sitting room with the envelope in her hand, she saw Nyko had begun a fire in her small hearth.  
“It’s a bit warm for a fire, isn’t it?” Maya asked, handing the envelope to Nyko. “It isn’t even September yet.”

Wordlessly Nyko took the envelope and threw it into the fire. Maya gasped. He held up a hand to keep her from asking questions, focused on the fire. She turned to watch the flames as well, watching as the envelope burned to reveal a single golden ring. “That’s what you had me hide?”

“If it is what I believe it is,” Nyko murmured. “I have done you a great wrong and placed you in unbelievable danger.”

Maya looked back at the ring, watching it slowly glow brighter in the fireplace. Slowly red lettering appeared on it, glowing more brightly than the coals. Nyko picked up the fire poker and used it to pull out the ring. He dropped it into Maya’s hand. She flinched, only to realize the ring was barely warm despite the fire and the glowing lettering.

“What does it say?” she asked, watching as the letters already began to fade once more. “I don’t know the language.”

“I would not expect you to,” Nyko replied, settling back into his seat as he stroked his beard. “Very few in these days know of it, let alone speak it.”

“What does it say?” Maya repeated, the ring in her hand once more purely golden. She set it down on the table beside the tray of cookies. 

Nyko sighed. “Roughly translated, it reads 'One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them'.”

Maya felt the hairs on her arms stand up as a chill swept through her. “And what does that mean?”

“It means, my dear Maya,” Nyko said slowly. “That we are all in terrible danger.”

 

“Many, many years ago,” Nyko began. “Years beyond the memory of men, there was a being who let herself become one with darkness. She learned old magic and old ways that had been abandoned out of the fear of to what they could lead. Once her teachers discovered her studies and experiments, she was banished from their halls, but the damage had already been done.”

“She settled in the East, in what is now known as the land of Mordor. She kept her darkness hidden from those she met along the way, claiming to be a metalsmith. During her travels she gifted the different races with rings she had made, giving nine to men, seven to dwarves, and three to the elves. Then, once she reached Mordor and the heat of Mount Doom, she made one final ring in secret. The One Ring was created to bring all the others together and to control them for her dark purposes.” Maya fought off a shiver as Nyko’s voice swelled through the hobbit-hole. 

“By the time the rest of the world discovered her true nature, it was too late. Her darkness had already begun to spread and seep from Mordor like a disease of evil and filth. The mortal kings to whom she had gifted the nine rings became consumed by her evil and changed until they only existed to do her bidding. The dwarves felt the touches of her darkness and hid away their rings deep in their mountains and caverns, determined to never touch that darkness again. The elves alone were not touched by her darkness, as she had merely passed the knowledge of how to make the rings and had never actually touched them. The power within the elven rings, however, was not strong enough to stop her when she had all the rest of her power surrounding her.”

“Finally the armies of Middle Earth rose up together in opposition of her. Men, elves, and dwarves met at the Black Gates of Mordor, prepared to end her once and for all. They took down her armies, until they reached her at Mount Doom. She stood there waiting beside a weapon that would spread darkness completely over Middle Earth until no light remained. All the rings she had given, those of the men and the dwarves, which she had stolen back, were parts of the weapon, and the last piece needed was the One Ring she had created in the blackness of Mordor. As the armies approached, she placed the Ring into the weapon.”

“The skies became blackness, the earth turned to gray dust and ash, and all who were near the machine felt the darkness weigh down on them like a heavy weight on their chests. They still fought on against her armies, and two men reached her inside of the mountain. The two were men of Gondor, the king and his first born son, Isildur. Gondor’s king fell, but Isildur stabbed her through the heart and then swept through her weapon, scattering the rings and parts. He turned to leave, only to find the One Ring lying on the path in front of him. In a moment of weakness he picked it up and took it into his keeping as a trophy and heirloom of his house.”

“Years passed, and Isildur ruled as king over Gondor. But the Ring contained a piece of its maker, and would not remain with those who had ended her. The Ring brought destruction in its wake, leading to the murder of Isildur. The Ring passed from hand to hand in a bloody trail until it became lost and faded into legend and myth.”

“Then how did you get it?” Maya interrupted. “If it’s supposed to just be legend and myth, how did you get the Ring and why did you bring it to me?”

Nyko sighed, taking a sip of his cooling tea. “I came to find the Ring through a series of coincidences. An associate of mine had heard of darkness stirring in the North, I went to investigate, there were a few complications, and a different associate found the Ring deep in the caverns of a goblin-infested mountain. We believe the Ring had been dormant for quite some time, although the goblins would have soon found it if we hadn’t first. It was decided I would look further into what the Ring was, and I couldn’t exactly take it all over Middle Earth with me, and so I thought to leave it with one of the most trustworthy people I know.”

Maya stared at him. “Me? I’m one of the most trustworthy people you know? I mean, yes, I’m very trustworthy and am flattered you think the same, but I’m a hobbit! I’ve never even been outside the Shire!”

“And that is how I knew it would be safe,” Nyko said smugly. “Hobbits keep to themselves and their homes. It tends to make others underestimate them and their abilities. I knew you would be an excellent choice.”

“But if this is the One Ring,” Maya replied slowly, thinking each word over before saying it. “What does that mean for Middle Earth?”

“It means that the stirrings of darkness in the North were only the beginning,” Nyko answered, voice weary. “And I am afraid I have dragged you into danger and a responsibility I would not have wished on my worst enemy.”

“What do you mean?” Maya asked, hands trembling slightly where she kept them folded in her lap. She did not like where this was going.

Nyko’s eyes were sad. “The Ring would only come out of dormancy if its mistress had returned from the shadows, which I am afraid to report is exactly what has happened. She has returned, the Ring is once more aware, and soon her Ring Wraths will begin their search for the Ring, if they have not already.”

“Ring Wraths?” Maya whispered. 

“The nine mortal kings she enslaved,” Nyko explained. “Their souls remained in her service long after their bodies gave out. They will feel the Ring calling to them, and will respond to that call.”

“Right, so you’re going to take the Ring with you when you leave again?” Maya asked. A chill ran down her spine at the thought of the things Wraths would do to the Shire in their desperation for the Ring. “I’d really rather undead servants of evil didn’t show up at my door.”

“I cannot take the Ring,” Nyko replied. “As an object of magic, it would be far too easy for it to turn me away from the light. It needs to be taken to Rivendell, when a council will meet to decide the fate of the Ring, but I cannot take it.”

They sat in silence for a moment as Maya realized what had to be done. Nyko could not take the Ring, and no one else could know about its existence or her possession of it. Again her mind strayed to thoughts of the danger to the Shire and her friends if the Ring Wraths were to come looking for the Ring. Her shoulders slumped. “You want me to take the Ring to Rivendell? I’ve never even left the Shire!”

“If I could pass the burden to anyone else, I would,” Nyko told her softly. “But we have already lost too much time against the enemy. I did not think it would take two years to find everyone and all the records I needed, and I fear that I have cost us more time than we could afford.”

“Will you go with me?” she asked.

He sighed. “I must go speak with Dante the White, the wizard who ranks above me in our order. But I will meet with you in Bree, a town that is just outside the Shire. I will meet you at an inn called the Prancing Pony.”

“So I must go alone?” Maya’s voice was soft. She thought of the tales she had heard of the wilds outside the Shire, tales of trolls, goblins, and haunted forests. Traveling alone would not be pleasant.

Nyko stood and moved to the window, back to Maya. “No, I do not believe you will be going alone,” he remarked. Moving faster than she’d even seen him move, he pulled back the curtain, reached through the window, and pulled up a hobbit from her hedges. Nyko dragged him inside through the window before dropping him on the floor. “Will she, Nathan Miller?” he asked, settling back into his chair.

Miller glared at Nyko as he straightened his shirt again. “I was just coming by to check on Maya,” he explained. “I was worried something was wrong. You don’t normally have your curtains pulled in the middle of the day, and I saw them when I was walking home from the market.”

“How much did you overhear?” Nyko demanded.

Miller shrugged. “I don’t know, I think you were talking about some evil being who made some ring, and you brought the ring here even though it’s known to be dangerous, which was a very questionable decision on your part, sir, and now Maya has to take it to Rivendell or else Ring Wraths might come here and take it and the world will be plunged into darkness.” 

Maya hid a grin behind her teacup while Nyko glared at Miller. “Congratulations, Miller,” Nyko grumbled. “You have earned yourself a trip to Rivendell with Maya.”

“I’m going whether you tell me to or not,” Miller replied. “I’m not letting her go off alone when agents of evil are out looking for her.” Maya felt a swell of affection for her friend and his loyalty. 

Nyko frowned, looking back and forth between the two hobbits. “You should leave as soon as you can, no later than tomorrow night. I will meet you in five days at the Prancing Pony in Bree, and from there we will continue on to Rivendell.” Nyko stood, back hunched again to accommodate the ceiling. “Go quickly and go quietly. With good luck, you may be able to get out of the Shire without trouble.”

 

The next day dawned bright and cool. Miller knocked on Maya’s door as she was putting the last few things into a large bag to take along with them. She smiled at him as he joined her in the kitchen. “Are you sure you want to come along? I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

“I’m not letting you go wandering off all over the world alone just because Nyko told you to,” Miller replied. “Especially when you could have some kind of creepy ghosts coming after you.”

“Wraths,” she corrected, tying the bag shut.

Miller scowled. “That is not an improvement.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed him out of the kitchen as she led the way to the front door. After locking it behind her, she linked her arm in his and they began the walk down the hill to the main part of Hobbiton. “Don’t worry so much. I’m sure this will be easy. I mean, we just have to get to Bree, and then Nyko will be with us the rest of the way.”

“What a comfort,” Miller replied, voice dry.

Maya laughed, waving to one of the hobbits running the local bakery. “How far is Bree, anyway?”

“Two days,” Miller replied. “Monty’s dad used to go sometimes. He used to talk about the travelers he’d meet there.”

“Oh, Monty told you, hm?” Maya teased, watching Miller’s cheeks tinge pink. “When was it? During one of your moonlit walks?”

“We don’t go on moonlit walks,” Miller replied sullenly. “I just make sure he gets home safely after festivals.”

“Mhmm,” Maya replied. “And is there hand-holding on these safety escorts?”

“Shut up,” Miller mumbled. Maya laughed, patting his arm.

By midday they had reached the end of the rolling hills that ringed Hobbiton. After stopping for a brief lunch, they started crossing fields of farmland. Maya turned her face up to the sun, soaking in its warmth as they walked beside a field of corn. Miller walked in front of her, setting a steady pace. She sighed happily. “Do you think anywhere is as nice as the Shire?”

He shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out. I have to say, I’m curious to meet the elves. You hear so many stories, I wonder if they’re all true.”

Maya shrugged as dogs began barking in the distance. Both hobbits turned and frowned in the direction of the noise. “You don’t think it’s one of those wraths Nyko warned about, do you?” Maya asked quietly.

“I think we’d know if it were a wrath,” Miller replied, voice just as soft. “Probably just some young ones playing in the corn.”

The barking got louder and corn began to sway as something passed through it. Maya and Miller exchanged a glance. “Probably shouldn’t get involved.”

“Right,” Maya replied, straightening the bag on her back. “Let’s keep going.”

They only made it a few steps before being knocked over by two hobbits rushing out of the corn. Maya gasped for breath as the one who’d barreled into her got to his feet and offered a hand. “Monty, look who we’ve found!”

“Miller and Maya!” the second hobbit replied, beaming as his brown eyes sparkled. “What are you two doing so far out of Hobbiton?”

The first hobbit shook his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen you! How’ve you been?”

Miller and Maya exchanged glances. “We’re just going on a trip for a while,” Miller answered. “Heading out of the Shire, trying something new.”

“You’re going to Bree?” Monty asked, excited. “Well, do you mind if we tag along? I’ve always wanted to see Bree, ever since my dad’s old stories.”

Maya shrugged helplessly. “We’re in a bit of a hurry,” she said. “We’re helping Nyko with something.”

“Hey, I saw him pass through last night,” Jasper said. “He was on a huge horse and riding faster than I’ve ever seen, remember Monty? We thought he was in some kind of trouble.”

Monty nodded solemnly. “He usually stops at least for tea, but last night he didn’t even wave or slow down or anything,” he cocked his head. “Does your errand have to do with whatever had him so worried?”

Miller said nothing, watching Maya. She bit her lip. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to talk about what we’re doing.”

“That’s fine,” Jasper replied. “But we’ll help anyway.”

Monty nodded. “We’ll go with you at least to Bree,” he agreed. “I know the area by the border better than any of you, and it’s been feeling odd there lately. I don’t know how to explain it, but I’d feel much better knowing you two have a guide.”

Jasper nodded. “And friends don’t let friends go on potentially dangerous journeys alone,” he added cheerfully. “It’s just rude.”

Maya sighed and smiled. “Well, then we gratefully accept your company,” she said. “But we should really be moving on.”

Monty nodded. “Just follow me,” he said. “I’ll show you the quickest way out of the Shire.”

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, although the air became chilly as the sun set. Maya slept fitfully, tossing and turning under her cloak as the embers from their campfire went out. When the sun rose again, the air remained cool and the sky was covered in dull clouds. The hobbits ate a breakfast of fruit and scones before getting back onto the beaten road. Monty and Miller walked in front, leaving Maya and Jasper to walk together behind them.

“So can you tell us anything about your errand?” Jasper asked. “Just a general idea?”

Maya adjusted the straps of her bag across her shoulders. “After Bree we’re going to Rivendell with Nyko,” she told him. “And it’s important that we get there as quickly as possible.”

“Is this some kind of good and evil thing?” Jasper asked excitedly, hair flopping over his eyes. “Will this become a legend?”

“I don’t know,” Maya replied. “Probably someday, but not my part in it. This will just be the beginning of the greater tale, I’m sure. Our names won’t be remembered, or really matter in the end.”

“Still,” Jasper grinned. “To be part of a legend. That’ll be something to tell grandkids.”

Maya smiled just before a shiver ran down her spine. A loud screeching sound came from the road behind them, carried on the wind. The hobbits all froze as the air seemed to become heavier. Miller broke out of it first. “Everyone off the road, quick!” he ordered, grabbing Monty’s arm and pulling him down into a small dip just beneath the road that wouldn’t be seen from the path. Maya and Jasper scrambled down to join them as the sound of hoof beats began to be heard. They all held their breath as the sound got louder, the air continuing to get heavier as the sky darkened. Maya closed her eyes, her fingers suddenly itching. Unconsciously she reached up and placed her hand over the Ring where it hung on its chain. 

The horse stopped and they heard the thud of heavy boots as its rider dismounted. Jasper and Monty began to tremble as the boots got closer to their side of the road, stopping over their hiding place. They all heard a snuffling sound, as if someone were trying to breathe deeply through a head cold. Maya stood as though frozen, her hand still over the Ring. The hobbits watched, transfixed, as a dark hooded head extended past the top of their hiding place, looking from side to side. None of them breathed as it withdrew again, the sound of the boots tramping back to the horse. Only once the hoof beats began again did they once again fill their lungs.

“What was that thing?” Monty asked, trembling slightly. Jasper had turned pale as a sheet.

“A Ring Wrath,” Miller replied, helping Maya to stand again. “They’re hunting us.”

“Why?” Jasper asked. 

“The errand for Nyko,” Maya replied, fishing the chain of her necklace out from under her shirt. She held up the Ring for her friends to see. “We’re supposed to get this out of the Shire and to Rivendell. The wraths are hunting us for this.”

“Well,” Monty said, more steady. “Let’s get out of the Shire. I don’t want those things anywhere near our families.”

They stayed off the path as they continued through the Shire, cutting across the land on shortcuts that Monty had learned as a child. As the sun passed its peak in the sky, they reached the forest that marked the Eastern border of the Shire. With a last glance behind her at the open fields and familiarity of the Shire, Maya followed her friends into the forest.

The woods were old, far older than anything they had encountered in the Shire. Limbs of trees creaked and swayed without a wind, and the trees stood so close together and so tall that they blocked out the light of the sun and sky. No birds or animals made sounds or flitted through the forest, coating everything in an eerie silence. None of the hobbits spoke above a whisper. 

After about two hours of trudging on the thin and winding path, Maya could not imagine her nerves and muscles being any tenser. The silence weighed down on them heavily, the only sound their footsteps and the occasional break of a twig under their feet. 

A loud and unforgettable shriek cut through the air. The hobbits froze for a moment in terror before Maya and Miller snapped into action. Grabbing Jasper and Monty, they pulled the other two hobbits off the path and into the forest, stumbling in their haste to get away from where the Wrath could easily find them. They scrambled down the side of a hill as the sound of hooves became closer. Miller found a hollow in a large tree that they quickly crammed themselves into, pressed together until they could all feel each other breathe.  
The hoof beats passed their hiding spot on the path, continuing along while the horse snorted and picked up its speed. Maya closed her eyes, feeling the Ring on its chain against the skin of her chest. For a moment she could have sworn it had a pulse of its own before she ignored the thought as fantasy. The hobbits remained in the tree for long moments after the hoof beats had faded. She could feel Jasper trembling behind her.

Miller eased himself out of the tree first, sneaking back towards the path and hiding behind trees to check if the coast was clear. He returned after a few tense moments, waving for them to join him. Cautiously they made their way back onto the path, constantly checking to be sure no one followed them. The trees above them continued to sway and creak, setting them on edge as they strained to hear the sounds of a horse. 

Finally the trees began to thin and the light of a beginning sunset filtered through the branches. Monty let out a relieved sigh. “I was worried we’d have to spend the night in here,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t have been able to handle that.”

“Looks like Bree is just over that bridge,” Miller pointed at the wooden construction over a stream. “At least, I hope that’s what the sign says.”

To all of their reliefs, the sign beside the bridge did point the way to Bree. They reached the town by nightfall, damp from the light rain that had begun as they left the forest. Jasper reached out and knocked on the wooden door in the wall surrounding Bree, shifting on his feet as they waited for the gatekeeper. 

The upper speaking window in the gate opened first before closing again and the lower window opened, revealing the grizzled face of a man with tired eyes. “Who goes there?”

“Four hobbits,” Maya replied. “Who are hoping to find space at The Prancing Pony.”

The man squinted at them. “Hobbits, huh? Well, get in, get in. Not a good night to be out and about, especially with some of the dodgy folk who’ve been seen lately.”

The gate opened and the hobbits scurried through into the town, eyes wide as they looked for the inn’s sign. Miller saw it first, guiding the other three towards a large wooden building marked by a swinging sign in the shape of a pony. They entered a dimly lit dining area filled with sound and smoke. A fat old man greeted them by the door.  
“Will you be needing rooms for the night?” he asked, smiling kindly at them. “I have some very nice rooms made up specially for hobbits.”

“Rooms would be wonderful,” Maya replied. “Just one will be fine.”

The innkeeper nodded. “I’ll see that one’s prepared. Why don’t you all find a seat and I’ll have some supper sent, I know how hobbits like their food.”

“Thank you, sir!” Jasper said as he pushed the other three towards the dining area. “Much appreciated!”

They settled down around a small table, looking around at the other patrons of the inn. A group of men was gathered around the bar, laughing loudly at a story being told by the barkeep. Another group of hobbits sat in one corner, and a few lone men were scattered through the rest of the room. A woman stopped at their table to place mugs of mead in front of each of them. “This should warm you up nicely,” she commented. “Bad night to be traveling.”

Miller frowned as he set down his mug again. “Maya, I think that man in the corner is watching us.”

Monty pretended to stretch, turning to look for himself. He nodded when he was turned again. “I don’t like the look of him. He’s covered up in that cloak indoors, and no one honest would hide their face like that.”

“We’ll just mind our own business while we’re here,” Maya replied. “We’re here to meet Nyko and then we’ll be gone again in the morning. As long as we don’t draw attention to ourselves, we’ll be fine.”

The innkeeper brought their meals over himself. Maya grabbed his arm before he could move away again. “Sir? We’re supposed to be meeting someone here. Has Nyko arrived yet?”

“Nyko the Grey?” he asked. “No, I’m afraid he isn’t here, my dear. I haven’t seen him in months. I’ll keep an eye out, though,” he promised. “As soon as he arrives I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you,” she replied as he went back to the bar. Her frown was mirrored on her friends’ faces. “He was supposed to meet us here,” she said softly. “Why wouldn’t he be here?”

Jasper shrugged. “Well, if we’ll be waiting we might as well have some more mead,” he commented. “I’ll get our refills.”

Maya, Miller, and Monty worked on their suppers as they waited for Jasper to return. During his absence the innkeeper dropped off a key to their room, promising again to tell them as soon as he heard anything about Nyko’s whereabouts. Maya sipped on water he had brought over, ears pricking when she heard her name from over at the bar.

Jasper was sitting on a stool, chatting with some men. “Yeah, my friend Maya is on an important mission. It’s a matter of good and evil, you know. We’re just waiting on our guide before we leave again.”

“I’ll get him,” Monty promised, slipping off his seat and going over to the bar to drag Jasper away from his audience. 

Miller nodded towards the hall leading to the rooms. “You get in the room and lock the door. We’ll handle anything out here.”

Maya nodded, getting to her feet and scurrying towards the hall. Just out of the light from the dining area her arm was grabbed and she was pulled into a room, the door snapping shut behind her. “Let me go!”

“I don’t think so,” a low voice said. “Doesn’t your companion know these are dangerous times? He shouldn’t have been talking so freely of good and evil.”

“Who are you?” she demanded, trying desperately to see in the unlit room. “What do you want with me?”

The rasp of flint being struck filled the room moments before a lit candle cast light over her captor. He had thrown his hood back, revealing a head shaved but for a strip in the center of his head. His nose reminded Maya of a hawk, and his eyes were hard. The hands he rested on the table were scarred and strong. His clothes were all a faded black, and a well-worn scabbard held a sword at his hip.

“I’m a friend,” he replied. “Nyko sent me as his back-up plan in case he weren’t able to be here when you arrived.”

“Do you have proof?” Maya asked, her hand slowly inching towards the small knife she kept on her belt. 

The man smiled. “Nothing more than my word, I’m afraid.”

“Then why should I trust you?” she demanded.

“I’m afraid you don’t have any other choice at the moment,” he said. “You’ll simply have to trust me.”

She sighed, letting her hand fall again. “Could you at least tell me your name?”

Something flickered in his eyes. “I have many names,” he answered. “But you may call me Lincoln.”

“Nice to meet you, Lincoln,” she said, offering her hand. “I’m Maya.”

He smiled. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Maya. Now, about your lodging for tonight.”

“We’ve already rented a room here,” she replied. 

“I know,” he said. “And I am sure many other people who overheard your friend know by now. Not all of them will be as kind as I am. You and your friends will stay with me in this room.”

Maya nodded. “How should I tell them?”

“I will,” he said, standing and moving to the door. “Lock this behind me, I have the key. I will be back with your friends in a moment.”

She did as he’d ordered, locking the door firmly. As she waited she paced the floor, toying with the chain around her neck. She tucked it back under her shirt when the lock on the door turned again. Her friends tumbled into the room, Lincoln locking the door once they were all inside.

“What’s going on?” Miller demanded. “Who is he?”

“His name is Lincoln, he’s a friend,” Maya said. “Nyko sent him.”

“And where is Nyko?” Miller asked, still glaring at Lincoln.

“I do not know,” Lincoln admitted. “And that worries me. The sooner we get you and your burden to Rivendell, the better.”

“You know what we have?” Monty asked. “And where we’re going?”

“As I said,” Lincoln replied patiently. “Nyko sent me as his stand-in.”

“Are you a wizard too?” Jasper asked.

He shook his head. “I’m one of the Rangers of the North. Nyko and I have met many times in our travels, and I happen to be going to Rivendell anyway. I’m familiar with the way and will guide you.”

“I’ve heard of the Rangers,” Monty said slowly. “You’re wild men.”

Lincoln shook his head. “The tales are wrong. We are travelers, that is all. We travel where we like and help where we can. People only call us wild because we answer to no king,” he paused when Miller and Jasper yawned. “You all should get some sleep. The next few days will take most of your strength.”

Maya curled up in one of the armchairs beside the fire. Monty, Miller, and Jasper piled into the man-sized bed in the room while Lincoln sat down in the armchair opposite Maya’s. He pulled out a dagger and began sharpening it as the hobbits fell asleep. 

Hours later Maya jolted up from her sleep, the shrieks of Ring Wraths echoing in her ears. Lincoln stood at the window, pulling the curtains more tightly closed. He looked over at her and returned to his seat. “They know you are not in your rooms now,” he said quietly. “They will spend the rest of the night searching for you in the town. Go back to sleep, I will keep you safe.”

“What are they?” Monty whispered from the bed. 

“They were men once,” Lincoln replied, voice soft. “Kings. But they were seduced by power and wasted away in its pursuit. Now they are no more than shadows of whom they once were, twisted by their greed and the evil with which they were infected.”

Jasper shivered. “What do they want with Maya?”

“The Ring,” Maya replied, eyes on the embers dying in the fireplace. “They want it for their master.”

“Such dark things should not be spoken here,” Lincoln said. “Go back to sleep, hobbits. I will keep you safe. Get your sleep.”

 

They left just after dawn the next morning, cutting across open countryside outside of Bree. Lincoln set a fast pace, able to move further with each step as a result of his long legs. The hobbits had to stay at a brisk trot in order to keep up with him. When they stopped for lunch Lincoln laid out his plans for their travel.

“I want to reach Weathertop before making camp tonight, and then it should just be another three days to Rivendell. With any luck we’ll get there without any more wrath encounters.”

“What’s Weathertop?” Jasper asked around a mouthful of bread.

Lincoln took a swig of water before standing. “An old guard post, long deserted. It has views of the surrounding land for miles, so it should give us good warning of any company. Come on, break’s over. We need to keep moving.”

“But we’ve just sat down!” Monty protested.

Lincoln shrugged. “We’ve a lot of land to cover still today, Master Green. You’re lucky I let us stop at all; most Rangers just eat on their feet while they travel.”

“Can we at least stop for tea later?” Jasper asked. 

Lincoln just stared. “Tea?”

Jasper nodded. “Tea. Afternoon snack? Pre-supper?”

“We will not be stopping for tea,” Lincoln replied. “In case you’ve forgotten, we are being pursued by undead servants of evil. I can assure you they will not be stopping for tea.”

“No tea?” Jasper repeated, crestfallen. 

Maya looped her arm in his. “Think about it, Jasper,” she said lightly. “When do the great legends ever mention tea?”

He sighed. “Will Rivendell have afternoon tea?”

“I’m sure they will,” Maya comforted him. “And I bet the elves know the best ways to brew the tea and have all sorts of scones we’ve never even heard of.”

Jasper nodded, picking up his pace again as he was fortified by the thought of elven tea.

They reached Weathertop a few hours after dark. Lincoln went up to the guard post first, scouting it out for safety while the hobbits stood in a huddle at the base of the stairs. He returned quickly, motioning for them to follow him. They emerged from the stairs into an open room, the roof long gone and the walls reduced to nothing more than piles of stone and weathered pillars.

“This was a guard post?” Maya asked, looking out at the darkness. 

“Long ago,” Lincoln said. “Back when the land of Rohan was just a group of nomadic horse lords, ununited by any one leader. Before anyone had even heard of hobbits,” he added with a smile. 

“And we’ll be safe here?” Miller asked, glancing at Maya.

“As safe as we’ll be anywhere until we reach Rivendell,” Lincoln confirmed. He dropped a folded blanket on the ground before them, a small pile of swords falling out of its folds. “I’m going to go scout around the area a little, just to be sure we’re alone. Keep these close, and don’t hesitate to use them if need be. I’ll be back shortly.”

Jasper and Monty went off to explore the edges of the post as Lincoln disappeared down the stairs. Maya and Miller sat down with their backs against part of a broken wall. She leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes briefly.

“You alright?” he asked quietly. 

“Just tired,” she murmured. “I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“I don’t think any of us did,” Miller replied. “It’s hard to sleep when you know wraths are after you.”

She hummed her agreement. They sat in silence for a moment until Miller bolted upright, Maya slipping off his shoulder. “What do you think you’re doing?!” he cried.

Maya peered around him; blanching when she saw the fire Jasper and Monty were nursing.

“We were cold,” Monty explained. “And look how much cheerier this place looks now!”

Miller moved to put the fire out with his foot, brushing ash over the embers. “If we can see for miles, we can be seen for miles! Think!”

A chilling shriek pierced the air, echoed from all directions surrounding them. Maya stood, her knees shaking. “They found us. They’re coming.”

Miller rushed over to the pile of swords, handing one to each of the hobbits. “Form a circle around Maya,” he ordered, pushing her behind him. 

They stood frozen, eyes staring out into the night and listening desperately for any sound. Jasper began to shake when the sound of heavy boots began to tramp up the stairs. Five figures in heavy black robes emerged from the staircase and glided across the open room to surround them. Maya could hear Miller’s throat working as he stared down the one closest to him.

Monty let out a strangled yell as he charged one of the wraths, sword waving madly. Jasper followed his lead, engaging a second wrath. Miller and Maya moved back-to-back, doing their best to hold off the other three. The wraths didn’t seem to be fighting in earnest, merely toying with the hobbits and keeping them busy while their hooded heads swiveled back and forth, snuffling the air.

“What are they trying to smell?” Monty demanded, voice strained as he blocked a swing from his wrath. “We’re right here!”

“They’re trying to figure out which of us has It,” Miller replied, purposely not glancing towards Maya. “They can’t- uh!” he grunted under a particularly strong swing from one of the wraths, muscles straining as he blocked it with his sword. 

Maya’s fingers itched as she held off the wrath in front of her. The ring seemed to be pulsing against her skin, the metal warm against her breastbone. A strange sense of calm washed over her as the sword was knocked from her hands. She ignored the cries of her friends as she reached for the chain around her neck. Staring at the wrath in front of her, she slipped the Ring onto her finger.

Her surroundings faded into grays while the wraths became clearer and burned a brilliant white. She could see each of their faces under their hoods, could have counted each of the lines on their faces. The remaining four turned towards her as the one facing her stepped closer, his hand reaching out to her. His empty eyes stared into hers as her hand stretched out of its own volition. Just before their fingers touched she regained her senses, snatching her hand back and holding it to her chest. She yanked the Ring off her finger just as the wrath pulled his sword back and plunged it into her shoulder. 

The world returned to shades of gray as Maya screamed from the pain, a flash of orange catching her attention as the wrath pulled the blade back once more. Through blurred vision Maya watched as Lincoln cut at each of the wraths, sword in one hand and a burning torch in the other. As the wraths scattered into the night he threw the torch, catching the last wrath as it fled. The hobbits watched in awe as the burning wrath shrieked and rode off on its horse with the others.

Maya let out a whimper of pain, bringing everyone to her side. Lincoln carefully pulled back the ruining fabric of her shirt, revealing the wound on her shoulder. She hissed as he probed at it carefully before wetting a handkerchief Miller handed him and gently cleaning the blood away from the wound. “This is beyond my healing capabilities,” he murmured. “We must get you to Rivendell immediately. Only Abby can help you now.” Lincoln moved to the edge of the post, letting out a piercing whistle. Moments later a bird landed on the wall beside him. He murmured to the bird before it flew off again.

“Who’s Abby?” Miller demanded, reaching out to help Maya to her feet and choosing to ignore the weird behavior of the Ranger. Lincoln picked her up when it became clear she would not be able to walk on her own.

“The ruler of Rivendell,” he replied. “And the most gifted healer in Middle Earth. She will be able to remove the poison.”

“Poison?” Jasper repeated, eyes glued to Maya as they descended the staircase to the ground again. 

Lincoln nodded, cradling Maya against his broad chest. “The wrath’s blade had Morgul poison on it. They use it on all their weapons as a sure-guard against their victims’ survival.”

“But Abby can heal her?” Monty asked, voice small.

“If we get Maya there soon enough,” Lincoln confirmed. “She will be able to heal her.”

They continued walking through the rest of the night, stopping briefly only at dawn to eat and drink. Maya struggled to keep down anything, only able to hold water in her stomach. Lincoln lifted her into his arms again as they went on. 

“Miller,” he called around midday. “Do you know what kings foil looks like?”

“Kings foil?” Miller repeated. “It’s a weed. I’ve pulled it from my gardens a hundred times.”

“Go find some,” Lincoln ordered. “It has some healing properties. It may help Maya, or at least make her a little more comfortable.”

Miller nodded, taking off into the woods to their left. Lincoln stopped the group, placing Maya on the ground with his cloak folded beneath her head. Her skin was clammy and color had drained from her cheeks, leaving her pale. Her dark eyes were clouded as she stared hazily up at the sky.

“What’s happening to her?” Jasper asked softly as Lincoln and Monty started a small fire. Lincoln placed a kettle of water over the flames to warm. 

“The poison is making its way through her,” he replied grimly. “I am hoping the kings foil will buy us some time, otherwise I fear we will get to Rivendell too late.”

Jasper went over to sit beside Maya, holding her hand in his. Moments later Miller stumbled back into their little camp, a clump of leaves clutched in his hand. Lincoln took the plant and dropped it into the heating water, waiting for steam to rise. Monty removed the kettle from the fire and offered it to Lincoln along with another of his handkerchiefs. Wordlessly Lincoln took them both and moved to sit on the other side of Maya. 

He unwrapped the bandages on her shoulder, gently bathing the wound in the treated water. She stirred slightly, moaning lowly at the pain. Lincoln continued to clean her shoulder, finally dipping the entire handkerchief in the water and pressing it to her wound. Maya passed out from the pain, eyes rolling back into her head as her back bowed. 

“Stop it!” Miller demanded, rushing to her side. “You’re just hurting her more!”

“This is the only way to help her,” Lincoln replied calmly. “Trust that I know what I’m doing.”

The hobbits spun at the sound of a horse approaching. Lincoln smiled, standing. “It’s about time!”

A white horse pulled to a stop inside their little clearing, its rider dismounting fluidly and moving to embrace Lincoln. “I came as quickly as I could. How is the Halfling?”

She was quite a bit shorter than Lincoln, although she still towered over the hobbits. Her golden hair fell in waves just past her shoulders, and her eyes were a bright blue that could rival the sky. She was dressed in pale shades of green and grey with a long and thin sword belted to her waist. The tips of her ears were pointed.

“She is not well,” Lincoln replied. “I’ve applied kings foil, but she is fading fast.”

The elf nodded. “I will take her to Rivendell.”

“You’re from Rivendell?” Monty asked, awed. 

“Forgive me, friends,” Lincoln said. “May I introduce Clarke, an old friend of mine and one of the swiftest riders I know? Clarke, these are Miller, Monty, and Jasper.”

Clarke smiled at the hobbits. “A pleasure to meet you, although I am sure we will be better introduced in Rivendell. Now, we should leave. I will take Maya, and you must all follow as quickly as you can on foot.”

Lincoln nodded as she remounted her horse. He handed her Maya and helped Clarke settle her in front of her on the saddle. “Ride swift. There may be Ring Wraths on your tail.”

Clarke grinned recklessly. “Just let them try to catch me.” She spurred her horse and within seconds Clarke and Maya were gone.

Lincoln threw his cloak back over his shoulders and kicked out the fire. “Let’s go.”

 

Maya woke up to soft light and warmth. She turned her head and opened her eyes, smiling softly when she recognized the man sitting beside her bed. “Nyko!”

He smiled back at her, setting down his pipe. “It is very good to see you awake, Maya Vie.”

“Where are we?” Maya asked, looking around the room. The bed in which she lay was large enough for six hobbits, the blankets piled high over her and surrounding her in softness unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. A canopy of white gauze hung over and around the bed. Candles sat on the pale table beside the bed, and a vase of flowers stood on an identical table beside the door. Large open windows lined two of the walls, letting in the soft light from the morning sun. She had been dressed in a soft white nightgown, and her shoulder had been wrapped in bandages. It barely hurt to move.

“We are in Rivendell,” Nyko replied. “And have been for a week now.”

“A week?” Maya repeated. “I’ve been unconscious for a week?”

Nyko nodded. “Clarke got you here just in time. If you had taken any longer to get here, Abby would not have been able to heal you.”

“The last thing I remember is being with Lincoln, Miller, Monty, and Jasper,” Maya said. “How did I get here?”

“Lincoln sent a message to Rivendell that you had been wounded,” Nyko explained. “Clarke, who you will meet this afternoon, received the message and set out to bring you here. She brought you here, although I believe there was a bit of a chase with the Ring Wraths, although that is not my story to tell. Abby, the ruler of Rivendell, was then able to remove the Morgul poison from your body. You then merely needed to heal, which I believe you have.”

“I certainly feel healed,” Maya mused, sitting up more fully. “Are my friends here yet?”

“They arrived two days after you,” Nyko confirmed. “And I am sure will be delighted to see you are awake at last.”

“When can I see them?” Maya asked.

“Not until this evening,” Nyko replied. “The morning is almost gone and now that you are awake, we have a meeting to attend.”

“A meeting?”

Nyko nodded, standing. “Dignitaries from all the races have gathered to discuss the fate of the Ring. As the one who has born the Ring this far, you have more than earned a place at the council. I’ll leave you to get dressed and I’ll have someone bring something for you to eat. I’ll be back in an hour and we can go to the meeting together.”

“But Nyko, what happened to you?” Maya asked. “You were supposed to meet us in Bree.”

He shook his head. “Now is not the time for that story, but I promise you will hear everything that kept me from making our appointment.”

Maya frowned as he left. “Wizards,” she muttered. “Miller’s right, they never will say something straight if they can dance around it instead.”

 

An hour later Nyko led Maya into an open courtyard that held a circle of chairs within its center. A few people were already seated, although they rose when Maya and Nyko joined them. “Maya, may I introduce Clarke of Rivendell and the Woodland Realm?” Nyko said formally as a blonde elf approached them, a smile on her pretty face.

“Clarke?” Maya repeated, holding out her hand. “I believe I should be thanking you for saving my life.”

Clarke smiled, clasping Maya’s hand in both of her own. “It was a life worth saving,” she replied. “I am glad to see you up and looking so well. How is your shoulder?”

Maya shrugged. “It feels fine. It twinged a little when I was putting on my shirt, but otherwise I would never know I’d been stabbed.”

“I’m glad to hear you are healing well,” said another elf as she glided over to them. Her long brown hair flowed freely down her back, and her brown eyes had fine lines at the corners. She had the same cheekbones as Clarke, although she stood taller and had a silver circlet resting across her brow. Her long robes were of a pale blue and brushed against the ground as she moved. 

“Maya Vie, may I introduce Lady Abigail, Lady and Ruler of Rivendell,” Nyko said. 

Maya curtseyed. “Thank you, my lady, for healing my shoulder.”

Abby nodded. “As my daughter said, yours was a life worth saving. Not many Halflings leave the Shire, let alone are willing to travel so far in danger. Welcome to Rivendell, Maya.”

Nyko led Maya across the circle to a pair of empty chairs. “The female dwarf is Raven Reyes of the Lonely Mountain,” he murmured. Maya glanced over at the dark dwarf who sat closer to them than to the elves. “She’s an amazing smith, although her temper has not won her many friends. The man beside her is Finn of Gondor, the current Steward of Gondor’s adopted son. You’ve already met Clarke and Abby.” Nyko paused as a man dressed in black entered the courtyard. “And you know Lincoln, of course.”

Maya grinned as the large man crossed to kneel before her, his hands reaching out to hold both of hers. “It is very good to see you, Maya,” Lincoln said. “How do you feel?”

“Infinitely better,” she replied. “Thank you for everything, I know we would not have survived without you.”

He smiled and squeezed her hands before letting go of her and moving to sit across the circle beside Clarke. Everyone waited quietly while a few more elves and dwarves entered the courtyard and took seats around the circle. Finally Abby stood and smiled at her guests. “Thank you for coming. As you all are aware, darkness is once again attempting to spread over Middle Earth. We are gathered here today because we have been presented with an opportunity to stop that darkness, possibly forever. Maya,” she paused, looking at the hobbit. “Would youplease place the Ring at our center?”

Maya stepped forward and withdrew the chain from under her shirt, placing it and the Ring on a pedestal at the center of the circle of chairs. Everyone stared at it as she returned to her seat.

“Is that truly the Ring of Power?” Finn of Gondor asked, his eyes fixed on the tiny circle of gold. “Is that truly the thing that is the source of our nightmares? The thing most desired by Alie, mistress of Mordor?”

“It is,” Nyko confirmed. “I tested it in fire myself and the words of Mordor appeared.”

“ 'One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them',” whispered Finn. A chill breeze blew through the circle. “How did such a valuable object end up with a Halfling?”

“I gave it to her for safe keeping,” Nyko replied. “I knew it would be safe in the Shire, away from the eyes of spies. Hobbits are overlooked by the greater world, and I have used that to my advantage.”

“Nyko,” Abby interrupted. “Why is Dante not here? He is the first of your order, he should be here as we decide the fate of the Ring.”

Nyko frowned. “I fear Dante does not see things as we do anymore.”

Abby’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“After leaving the Shire, I went to visit Dante the White, the first of my order,” Nyko continued. “I thought he would have wisdom and instructions on what should be done. He greeted me warmly, and we went to his solar to speak. I told him the Ring had been found once more, and that Alie was trying to rise and rebuild her armies. He already knew this, and told me he’d heard reports of the war drums of Mordor sounding. I asked what he intended to do, assuming he would come to this council and share his thoughts.”

“ ‘Do?’ he asked me. ‘I have already begun my preparations. She will be terrible in her return to power, Nyko. All who do not side with her shall perish in her fury. I do not intend to perish.’”

“I could not believe what I was hearing. I asked if he meant that he had chosen to side with her and he merely laughed. ‘Nyko the Grey, do not tell me that you still believe in good and evil. No, my friend, there is only power. Alie has all the power and only fools would dream of standing against her.’”

“ ‘Then call me a fool,’ I replied. ‘For I will not stand idly by while she spreads darkness over all Middle Earth.’”

“That is when I truly saw the darkness had overcome Dante. His features twisted until he was almost unrecognizable and he hissed words of Mordor at me, using his staff to pin me against the wall. We fought for many long hours before I could take no more and lapsed into unconsciousness. When next I awoke, I was imprisoned on the roof of Isengard. Beneath me I could see the forges Dante has created. He is preparing an army of orcs to move against men. During my imprisonment he came up to speak with me a few more times, attempting to convince me to join him and side with Alie. Each time I refused. Finally, after many days, I was able to escape and came here as fast as I could.”

“How did you escape?” Maya whispered.

Nyko smiled. “The eagles. I have many friends across Middle Earth, and I have always found that animals are excellent friends to have. Especially when they have wings.” 

Abby shook her head. “This is terrible news. Dante and Isengard have always been a powerful ally, and I fear our fight now shall be harder without them.”

“Allies?” Finn repeated. “Why should we need allies when we have the Ring? Let me take the Ring to Gondor and we will fight against the armies of Mordor and Alie with their own prize!”

“The Ring is not a weapon to be used by any man,” Lincoln replied, voice soft. “It would destroy and betray you, not save you.”

“And who are you to say so, Ranger of the North?” Finn asked scornfully.

Clarke stood, eyes burning with anger. “You do not know to whom you speak! This is no mere Ranger. This is Lincoln, son of Luther, rightful heir to Isildur and the throne of Gondor!”

Maya gaped at her friend. He caught her eye and shrugged. 

Finn scowled. “Gondor has no king,” he glanced at Lincoln. “Gondor needs no king. My father is Steward and rules justly. The people of Gondor do not waste their time wishing for some pretender to return to a long empty throne. What they wish for is relief from the hordes of Mordor, which the Ring could provide!”

“No, Finn,” Abby stated. “Lincoln is right. The Ring is not a tool to be bent to any man’s will. It would not be safe in Gondor. No, I fear it must be destroyed.”

“Then why are we sitting around staring at the damn thing?” Raven demanded, standing and unhooking the axe from her belt. She strode forward and brought the axe down on the Ring. Instantly she was sent flying back from it, sparks flying from the Ring while it remained unscratched. 

“The Ring cannot be destroyed by any mortal means,” Abby said, smirking slightly. “It must be taken into the fires of Mount Doom and melted down where it was created.”

“You are all making a terrible mistake,” Finn declared. “You are talking of destroying the one thing that could save us!”

“We are planning to destroy the one thing that could doom us!” Nyko argued. “Do not mistake your greed for glory with wisdom, Finn of Gondor!”

“It will be destroyed,” Abby announced. “We will need a volunteer to take the Ring to Mordor and cast it into the fires.”

“The dwarves will do it,” Raven replied. “Who else better to melt down metal than a smith?”

“The elves would be swifter,” an elf beside Abby argued. “If we must wait for dwarves Middle Earth would already be destroyed by the time they reach the gates!”

Arguing broke out around the circle as each group tried to gain the upper hand. Maya ignored them all, her gaze caught on the Ring. Sunlight glinted on the gold, giving it a deceptively innocent appearance. She glanced up at the arguing people, realizing with a sinking heart that none of them would be able to agree or be able to guarantee they would get the job done. With a soft sigh, Maya accepted what she had known at some level she would have to do from the moment Nyko had told her of the Ring.

“I’ll take it,” Maya said, her voice lost in the chaos of everyone else arguing. She slid off her chair and stood in the circle. “I will take the Ring to Mordor!” 

Silence fell around the circle as everyone slowly turned to face her. She stood as tall as she could, her eyes focused on Abby. “I will take the Ring, although I do not know the way to Mordor.”

Nyko stood beside her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I will guide you,” he promised. She nodded up at him.

Lincoln walked across the circle to kneel in front of her. “I will go with you to the very gates of Mordor,” he promised. “And defend you to my death if need be. You will have my sword.”

“And my bow,” Clarke said as she strode over to join them. She ignored Abby’s worried look as she placed her hand on Maya’s open shoulder. Maya smiled up at the elven princess.

“And you’ll have my axe,” Raven said, standing beside Nyko. “I can’t let elves take all the credit for saving the world.” Clarke made a face at her, which she returned.

Finn looked over the group before shrugging and standing to join them. “I will go with you as far as Gondor. Perhaps in that time we can find a plan to help our armies.”

“You can’t go without me!” Miller rushed into the circle, ignoring Abby’s look of shock. He planted himself solidly beside Maya. “Where Maya goes, I go.”

Two more small people ran to the group. “You’re not leaving us behind,” Monty gasped, clutching a stitch in his side. “It wouldn’t be fair!”

“Yeah, and you’ll need some smart folks on this journey,” Jasper said. “This adventure, quest, thing. You’ll need us.”

Nyko let out a long-suffering sigh.

Abby looked them over, her eyes lingering for a moment on Clarke before moving onto Maya. For a moment she seemed to stare through her before nodding. “So it shall be,” she agreed. “A fellowship of nine. A Fellowship of the Ring. Take the night to prepare and rest for your journey. You shall leave in the morning.”


	2. Traveling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be a little shorter than the last one, as well as shorter than I planned, because I realized how I was previously planning to separate everything into chapters was overwhelming me and that I do a lot better when I break the chapters down further. So hopefully this means I will be updating more, although the chapters won't be quite as long.

The first day and a half of their journey passed quietly. Maya stuck close to Lincoln and Clarke, listening to them catch up with each other. “We were friends as children,” Lincoln told Maya when she asked. “I spent a few years in Rivendell before leaving to join the Rangers in the North. Clarke grew up there before leaving to stay with her father in Mirkwood Forest.”

“And thank goodness I left,” Clarke said bluntly. “My mother would have tried to make me into a political leader like she is.”

“You would have been good at it,” Lincoln offered.

“I would have hated it,” she replied. “Too much weight on my shoulders. Give me a new path to travel and my bow and quiver any day.”

Miller and Raven walked together most of the way, occasionally talking about the differences between hobbits and dwarves in their treatment by men.

“At least you don’t get called Halflings,” Miller argued. “It’s plain rude.”

Raven shrugged. “People know better than to talk down to dwarves. We’ll cut them down at their knees.”

Jasper and Monty had bonded quickly with Finn. When they stopped for meal breaks the man from Gondor would try to teach them beginner’s swordplay moves or simple hand-to-hand self-defense. On the second day out from Rivendell they were at it again on their lunch break. Finn circled the hobbits with his sword drawn, grinning down at them. “Now remember to stay focused on my core. That is where you’ll see me move before I strike.”

Monty and Jasper both looked at each other before shrugging and dropping their swords. They charged in unison at Finn, laughing as they jumped on him. Finn laughed and dropped his sword, letting the hobbits mob him. “Alright, alright, I admit defeat!”

Maya laughed at the happy scene as a cloud passed over the sun. Lincoln glanced up at the sky before jumping to his feet. “Nyko!”

Nyko looked up as well before grabbing Maya and dragging her into a crevice between two boulders. “Everyone take cover!”

“The spies of Isengard,” Clarke murmured before pulling Raven under a patch of bushes with her. “I’d forgotten Dante’s work with the crows.”

Lincoln and Miller ducked under another group of bushes while Monty, Jasper, and Finn slid into a gap between the ground and some boulders. Maya silently thanked the universe that they hadn’t started a fire for their meal. The shadow of the flock of crows passed over their hiding places twice before turning and flying away to the South once more.

Lincoln slid out of the bushes first before beckoning for everyone else to do the same. Nyko stood slowly, stretching out his spine. “I fear we may have been discovered,” he mused, running a hand over his wild beard. “Dante will know we have left Rivendell. We cannot rely on secrecy to take us past Isengard and into the Gap of Rohan as I had hoped. We’ll have to cross the mountains instead.”

Raven perked up. “The gates of Moria are not far, Nyko. We could pass through my cousin’s halls as guests and be through the mountains within a day.”

Nyko shook his head. “No. The fewer who know of our journey the better. We will take the pass over Mount Weather.”

“Will we be able to make it?” Clarke asked. “Even at this time of the year the mountain can be difficult.”

“We must make it,” Nyko replied. “There aren’t any other alternatives.”

They reached the stone pillar that marked the start of the pass over the mountains the next afternoon. Twice more over the past twenty-four hours they had been forced to stop and take cover as Dante’s flock of crows passed overhead. Any time a cloud passed over the sun, Maya found herself tensing and glancing up in fear.

Snow began to fall as the path up the mountain rose. Within minutes they were surrounded by heavy white flakes that clung to them stubbornly. Only Clarke seemed immune to the weight of the snow. As it began to gather around their ankles, Maya realized Clarke was literally walking on top of the snow.

“Elves,” Raven grumbled, lifting her feet out of the four inches that were already accumulating on the ground. “Damn them and their light feet.”

After two hours of a growing blizzard, the snow had reached the waists of the hobbits. Nyko and Lincoln walked in front of them, trying to clear the path for the hobbits to pass. Raven and Finn took up the rear of the procession while Clarke walked on the snow ahead of Lincoln and Nyko to ensure no unpleasant surprises found the group.

“Nyko, this is insane!” Finn called. “This snow is not stopping, and soon the hobbits won’t even be able to see above it!”

“We must continue on!” Nyko called back, beard almost white from all the snow in it.

Maya stumbled and fell, rolling a little ways away through the snow as she tried to catch herself. Lincoln and Finn rushed after her, each grabbing one of her arms before she could continue in her tumble. She shivered as Lincoln helped her to her feet. Absently she put a hand to her neck where snow had gotten under her cloak and gasped when she didn’t feel the chain of her necklace. “The Ring!” she looked around frantically. “It fell off! I-”

Finn held the chain on which the Ring hung, the gold shining oddly in the pale light of the snow. Maya sighed in relief. “Finn, thank you! Could you hand it to me?”

He didn’t reply, his eyes focused on the Ring. Shaking slightly, he stretched out his other hand as if he would touch it.

“Finn!” Lincoln called over the wing. Finn shook his head, the odd light in his eyes vanishing. Lincoln inclined his head towards Maya. “Give Maya the Ring.”

He handed it over quickly before continuing back to the others. Maya looked up at Lincoln as she placed the chain back around her neck. “What was that?”

“Trouble brewing,” Lincoln muttered, helping her through the snow. “Hopefully it won’t come to a boil.”

“We cannot continue this way!” Finn was telling Nyko again when they rejoined the group. “We all will freeze!”

“We should just go through Moria,” Raven suggested again. “My kin will keep the secret, hell, they may not even ask what we’re doing. Orin never was big on asking questions.”

Nyko continued to hesitate, looking around at all their faces. He paused when he reached Maya. “The Ring-bearer shall decide,” he declared. “Maya?”

She tried to still the chattering of her teeth. Miller watched her, a light ring of blue beginning to form around the edges of his lips. Jasper and Monty stood huddled together, both shaking from cold. “Moria,” she announced. “We will go through Moria.”

The lines around Nyko’s mouth tightened. “So be it.”

Traveling back down the mountain and into the tucked away cave where the gates to Moria waited took just under a day. When they entered the cave, Raven beamed at the walls. “It’s been a few years since I last visited. It’ll be so good to be back.”

“Why is the entrance in a cave?” Jasper asked, watching the water of a small lake that had formed inside the cave.

“Where else would you have it be?” Raven asked. “Dwarves don’t want just anyone coming to visit. We like to have our gates tucked away.”

The gates stood at the back of the cavern, stretching up from the floor almost fully to the ceiling. Carvings marked the spot, arching up in an elegant curve. Nyko lit the stone at the top of his staff, casting light onto the carvings. Light bounced back from them, shining like diamonds.

“Ah, the skill of masters,” Raven gushed, running a gentle hand over the stone. “Nothing matches it.”

“How do we get in?” Miller asked, studying the door. “There isn’t a handle.”

“There’s a password,” Raven replied. “That way only those who are invited may visit.”

“Dwarf hospitality sounds like a very guarded thing,” Clarke commented. “Could it be you’re actually terrible hosts?”

Raven scowled and was about to respond when a loud splash echoed through the cavern. Everyone standing by the door turned to stare as Jasper and Monty attempted to skip another two stones across the lake. Nyko went forward and pulled them back, scowling. “Stop that!”

Maya watched as ripples moved out from a part of the lake where neither of the stones had landed. “Nyko?”

He was just turning to look at her as a long tentacle darted out of the water. Maya screamed as Finn pulled her back just in time, striking out with his sword in his other hand. They all hurried to the doorway as more tentacles flew out of the water. “Say the password!” Lincoln demanded.

“Welcome!” Raven shouted. The doors shone even more brightly before slowly beginning to swing open. Raven darted inside. Lincoln and Clarke pushed the hobbits into the revealed hallway before scrambling in after them. Finn and Nyko brought up the rear, pushing everyone further down the passage. The tentacles grabbed at the sides of the entrance, pulling them in on themselves until the way was completely blocked off. They all stood frozen for a moment before letting out a breath.

“The password was ‘welcome’?” Clarke finally broke the silence. “It might as well have been ‘password’ if you’re looking for something difficult to break.”

“Not now, Clarke,” Lincoln told her quietly.

“These halls are some of the most beautiful wonders of the world,” Raven said confidently as she stepped further into the passage and away from the wreckage of the doors. “My cousins will welcome us gladly and now, elf,” she directed at Clarke with a smirk. “Now you will see what true hospitality is.”

“If the dwarves are so hospitable, why aren’t the passages lit?” Miller asked, soft voice carrying in the stone tunnel.

Raven frowned at him. “It’s obviously a little used entrance. Once we get further into Moria, we’ll find my uncle.”

“But shouldn’t someone have heard the doors collapsing?” Monty asked. “It wasn’t exactly quiet.”

“Monty is right,” Nyko said, cupping his hand around the stone embedded at the top of his staff. A soft light began to glow from it, casting shadows on the hard walls around them. “We move forward quietly and carefully. We do not know what waits for us here.”

They fell into a line as they cautiously followed Nyko deeper into the mountain, Raven immediately behind him. Their footsteps echoed against the stones, the only sound other than the slow drip of water. Nyko’s staff lit their way as their eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness surrounding them. About two miles into the mountain they reached a series of staircases leading both up into the higher levels of the mountain and down towards the mines.

“We should go up,” Raven insisted, voice less sure than it had been. “If anyone were in the mines, we’d hear them working.”

Nyko nodded, leading them up the stairs. They climbed for what felt like hours before reaching the top level and entering a passageway through a huge archway of intricately carved stone. Maya reached out and traced the carvings, watching how their shadows danced on the stone. “What are these?”

“Ancient runes,” Raven replied, placing her own hand on the carvings. “They tell the story of Moria and how we came to be here. My people’s story is in stone, where not even time may wear it away.”

“Where is everyone?” Finn asked softly. “We haven’t so much as seen another person, and we must have passed forty floors on our way here.”

“Um, everyone?” Monty’s voice shook slightly. He pointed down the passageway to a partially open door. “What is that?”

Raven let out a cry before pushing past everyone and running to the door, dropping to her knees. As she got closer, Maya realized what she had assumed was a discarded pile of armor held what appeared to be a full dwarf skeleton. Clarke stopped beside Raven in the doorway, hesitantly placing a hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. When Raven didn’t shake her off, she squeezed her shoulder. “I am sorry, Raven.”

“I don’t understand,” Raven’s voice was clogged with unshed tears. “There was no sign of a siege. Moria could not be taken any other way.”

“This was one of the guardrooms,” Finn commented, looking around the small room that was lit with a pale shaft of light from a single window set high in the wall. An open well stood in the center of the room, a spider-web covered axe lying on its edge with a long chain wrapped around the handle. “Wasn’t it?”

Raven shook her head. “It was a record room. Balin,” she carefully stepped inside the room, careful not to upset the skeleton. “Balin was the record keeper. His last writings should still be in here.”

“I think I’ve found them,” Lincoln said, gesturing to a desk in a corner where a second skeleton lay over a large leather bound book, a broken quill in the bony hand. Raven walked over, brushing her fingertips over the crest painted on the skeleton’s armor before turning away and moving to a corner of the room, not looking at any of them.

Nyko went to the desk and gently removed the book from under the skeleton. He flipped through the pages until he reached the last entry, clearing his throat. _“Third day of battle. Orin fell during the night, we few survivors have fled to the upper floors. I have sent on most of those who remain, hoping they will be able to reach the Eastern Doorway. Tolin and I stay here in the record room. I stay as I am too old, and Tolin because he refuses to leave me.”_

_“We dwarves should have learned our lesson after the Arkenstone and dragon sickness. Our search for beauty under the earth has doomed us. We have dug too deep and awakened what should never have been. Our greed has led us to this downfall.”_

_“The goblins came through the mines in swarms. They have since cleared us from each floor, following us through our halls with their stench and the endless pounding of their drums. Even now the sounds echo through Moria, the pounding of the drums from our deep. Beware the drums.”_

A loud clattering caused everyone to jump. Nyko slammed the book shut and spun to scowl at Jasper, who stood beside the well and watched as the axe fell, the chain sliding with it into the abyss. Jasper winced as the chain smashed against the sides of the well, only looking up at Nyko once the final thud had been heard.

“Fool!” Nyko hissed. “What have you-”

Maya heard the sound at the same time Nyko did. A steady beating had begun to rise from the well. Raven spun to face the room again, eyes bright with fear. “Beware the drums of the deep,” she murmured.

Lincoln dragged Jasper away from the well, hauling him out into the hallway, where they could already begin to hear the scurrying and shrieking of goblins from the stairway. “We can’t make a stand here, there are too many of them!”

“Then we make for the Eastern Doorway,” Nyko commanded. “Go!”

Clarke and Miller both grabbed Maya’s hands, tugging her along down the hall. Finn followed with Monty while Raven and Nyko brought up the rear. They continued running until they reached a huge hall with carved pillars that reached from the floor to the ceiling and archways leading off in each direction. Nyko looked around frantically. “Which way is East?”

Goblins began to pour into the hall from the archway the Fellowship had come through. More goblins scaled down the pillars towards the nine people huddled in the center of the hall. Finn, Lincoln, and Nyko all drew swords. Clarke put an arrow to her bow, aiming at the hordes of goblins quickly approaching. Raven took her axe from its place on her back, adjusting her stance so she stood solidly. The hobbits each drew the blades Lincoln had given them back at Weathertop.

A loud roar tore through the hall. The goblins froze before scampering back up the pillars and through the various archways through which they had come. Monty and Jasper began to cheer before Finn hushed them. Nyko turned white as a sheet as he looked back towards the archway through which they had fled previously. Maya turned to see what had him upset. A red glow and dark shadows had begun to show through the archway. She looked up as Clarke grabbed her arm again and began to pull the hobbit along.  “Move, everyone move!”

“What is it?” Miller demanded as Lincoln grabbed his arm to help him on.

“A balrog!” Nyko replied, making sure everyone was moving as fast as they could towards the opposite end of the great hall. “A nightmare made of flame and evil. No living being can stand against one and survive. Run!”

“There’s a bridge ahead,” Raven called. “It leads to the doors of the Eastern Door!”

“Then it is our only hope,” Nyko replied. “Go!”

They ran through the hall, fleeing from the growing heat at their backs and the growing smell of charcoal and ashes. Maya began to cough, still being hauled along by Clarke. Finally they reached the bridge and began to run across its narrow width in pairs. Clarke led the way with Miller, followed by Monty and Raven, Finn and Jasper, and finally Lincoln half-supporting the coughing Maya. She half-turned a little ways along the bridge, looking for Nyko.

He stood at the base of the bridge, staff in one hand and silver sword in the other. Maya watched in horror as a black figure emerged from the flames that had engulfed the Great Hall of Moria. It stood taller than three men, with thin limbs that ended in vicious claws. Great horns crowned its head and its eyes glowed with the fires of hell. In one hand it held a whip made of fire and in the other was a sword similarly made. Nyko stood between the Balrog and the rest of the Fellowship, a small figure in a faded grey robe.

      “You shall not pass!” he cried, a band of power spreading out from him to strike at the Balrog. The creature didn’t even flinch, instead continuing its approach of the bridge. Nyko slowly began to back his way along the bridge, eyes never leaving his foe.

Nyko raised his sword and staff. “You shall not pass!”

The Balrog came closer.

“YOU,” Nyko screamed, staff and sword blazing with light and magic. “SHALL NOT PASS!” He thrust his staff down on the center of the bridge, breaking away the pathway in front of him. Maya gasped as the Balrog fell from the stone and let out a piercing scream. Nyko nodded as the creature vanished into the pit below them. He turned and began to limp his way towards them again. He didn’t see the fiery trail of the Balrog’s whip as it flickered over the side of the bridge and twined around his ankle in a sick imitation of a caress. Maya screamed as Nyko lost his footing and slid from the bridge, barley managing to catch himself on the edge.

Nyko scrabbled for purchase on the smooth path of the bridge before slipping to the edge once more. He looked at the Fellowship, his dark eyes strangely calm. “Fly, you fools!”

“No,” Maya breathed. “NO!”

Nyko released his grip and fell into the pit.

Lincoln picked up Maya as her knees gave out, carrying her the rest of the way down the twisting passages that eventually led them to a door guarded by more skeletons in dwarvish armor and covered in cobwebs. Finn, Clarke, and Raven forced the door open, spilling icy light and cool air into the musty corridor. What remained of the Fellowship stumbled out of the tunnel and into the pale light of dawn, only making it about half a mile from the gates of Moria before collapsing.

Lincoln set Maya carefully on her feet. She walked a few paces numbly, staring out across the barren rocks towards a distant forest, not seeing any of it. In her mind, Nyko had been immortal. To have him taken in such a way, to be unable to deny that he was lost to her, was unthinkable.

She turned around, looking at her companions with empty eyes. Jasper lay on the rocks, head cushioned in Monty’s lap. Both hobbits were crying silently, Monty’s fingers tangling in Jasper’s cloak as he clutched at his friend. Miller was sunk in a crouch, shoulders heaving while he covered his face with his hands. Finn sat beside him, rubbing a hand over his own face in steady circles without seeming to realize he was doing it. Lincoln had walked further than Maya and was staring off towards the forest. Raven set her axe on the ground and leaned against it, the lines in her face making her appear to have aged decades in moments. Clarke stood beside her, face clear of all emotion and eyes distant and cold.

“We must move on,” Lincoln broke the silence as he returned to their cluster. “This is not a safe place for us. We must go on to Lothlorien.”

“Let them grieve!” Finn snarled as he got to his feet. “We lost one of our own, and you expect us to continue on like it was nothing?”

“No,” Lincoln replied calmly. “We will grieve, but we cannot here. We are not safe. Nyko would not want us to lose ourselves to emotion now. We must get to a safe place. We must get the Ring to a safe place.”

Finn glanced at Maya. “And where do you suggest, Ranger?”

“Lothlorien,” Lincoln answered. “It was where Nyko intended for us to go. We will be safe there, at least for a day or two.”

Monty struggled to his feet, helping Jasper rise with him. Miller stood and moved to his usual place beside Maya. She leaned against him momentarily, drawing comfort from knowing he was still with her. Clarke led the way as they began the journey across the foothills of the mountains towards the distant forest of green and the promise of safety.

They walked in silence all day, stopping once for a brief lunch and a quickly abandoned attempt at rest. Jasper walked beside Maya, clean tracks on his otherwise grimy face showing where his tears had fallen. She reached out and took his hand in hers, holding onto him as they walked for a little ways before giving him a squeeze and releasing his hand once more. By late afternoon they had reached the first of the lines of trees.

The forest was quiet, a peaceful quiet completely unlike the quiet of the forest on the Shire’s border. Everything was illuminated by a soft golden light that appeared to come from the trees themselves rather than the sunlight filtering through their leaves. Birds flit from tree to tree and a soft breeze ruffled the leaves. She felt a sense of peace slip into her chest like the first sip of hot cocoa on a cold day. Maya looked up at Lincoln, noticing some of the lines that had been forming on his face since Moria had smoothed away again. “Where are we?”

“Lothlorien,” Clarke answered from behind her, voice soft. “The last elven realm in the South. We will rest here for a day before continuing on.”

“More elves?” Raven muttered. “Great.”

Clarke ignored her. Her face had also lost its tension, and her expression was more peaceful than Maya had seen. “Lothlorien is a wonderful place,” she continued. “Ruled over by Lexa, and the last place beyond Rivendell where peace can be found.”

“Lexa?” Finn repeated. “I have heard of her. She is no peaceful queen. It is said that any that look on her are put under a spell until they can do no more than stare upon her. Men have wasted away for awe of her.”

“Lies,” Clarke replied. “She is beautiful, but any who waste away from love for her only have themselves to blame.”

“And you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, Clarke?” Lincoln said softly.

Maya was amazed to see Clarke blush. “That was a long time ago, Lincoln,” the elf replied, tossing her braid over her shoulder. “I was young and Lexa is easy to love. She just does not return that love so easily.”

“Wait,” Jasper interrupted. “You and the elf queen were in love?”

“Not quite love,” Clarke said, a soft smile on her face. “But close enough. That was long ago, it doesn’t matter now.”

“Well if she tries to make me some kind of love-idiot, she’ll have another thing coming,” Raven muttered. “No dwarf will ever fall for an elf, and I don’t care how powerful she’s supposed to be, she can’t have me.”

“Raven,” Lincoln cautioned.

“Don’t you start,” Raven bit back. “You like elves too much, Lincoln, it’s your biggest flaw, in my opinion. You should have spent more time with dwarves growing up, you’d be less- less _flowy._ You need a little more stone in you.”

“And you need a little less,” Lincoln replied with a smile. “Now hush, we’re getting close to the gates of Lothlorien.”

“You will get no closer,” a male voice said. Maya looked around for the speaker before everything went dark around her. Panicked, she reached up to feel a blindfold that had been dropped over her eyes.

“Gustus,” Clarke said quickly. “It’s me! We’re friends to Lothlorien.”

“No dwarf is a friend to Lothlorien,” the voice replied. “And you have been long gone, Clarke of Rivendell.”

“Clarke of Mirkwood,” she corrected with steel in her tone. “Bring us to Lexa, if you don’t believe we are friends. She will see the truth.”

Maya waited anxiously while the unseen elf deliberated. “The dwarf must remain blindfolded,” Gustus finally declared. “We cannot have her know how to find us.”

“I will not be the only one left blind!” Raven hissed. “A fine way to treat a guest! Hospitable, you said? Pah!”

Lincoln sighed. “We will all remain blindfolded, Gustus. Please, just take us to Lexa.”

Strong arms pushed Maya forward. She stumbled on for at least an hour before she was pulled to a stop. The blindfold was removed from her eyes as she blinked at the surprising amount of light now before her.

Their group stood in the center of the forest, tall trees surrounding them. Stairways had been built out of white wood and set up in spirals around the trees, leading up to platforms and rooms within the branches. Lanterns hung from railings and branches, covering everything in the soft glow of candlelight. The same soft golden glow of the forest was here, softening the otherwise harsh white of the stairs and rooms.

“So the Fellowship of the Ring has arrived in Lothlorien at last,” an elegant voice said. Maya turned to watch as a female elf glided down a stair, her white dress trailing behind her. Her long brown hair fell in soft waves to her waist, and a large silver and diamond ring rested on the forth finger of her right hand. Her brown eyes were lined in kohl, drawing attention to the intensity of her gaze. She stopped a few steps above the ground, looking them over with a small frown on her face. “And yet, not all of you have arrived. I see Nyko the Gray has been lost.”

“There was a balrog,” Finn said. “Nyko fell while defeating it.”

Lexa waved a hand, fixing her intense stare on the man from Gondor. He met her gaze for less than a second before looking away and shifting uncomfortably. “We do not speak of such evil things in Lothlorien,” Lexa stated. “This is a place of peace.”

She looked at each remaining member of the Fellowship one at a time. Jasper blushed red under her gaze, as did Raven. Clarke once more had a soft smile on her face. Lincoln met her gaze until she looked away. Miller and Monty appeared unaffected. When Lexa turned her stare on Maya, she felt peace wash over her once more. In the split second before Lexa looked away, she felt a shiver run down her spine and ruin the feeling of peace.

Lexa nodded. “You are all exhausted. Rest now. I will have a supper prepared for you along with boats and the things you will need to resume your journey in the morning. For now, be at peace. No darkness may enter Lothlorien. You are safe here.”

 


End file.
